Cat has licked our food, would you eat it?

valk_scot

My OH still tells the story of the cat they owned as a child bringing in a roast chicken through the cat flap. An entire cooked, roast chicken that he'd obviously pinched from a windowsill. I just asked Hubby "Did you eat it?" and he said that his mum considered it (they were pretty hard up in these days) but the chicken was a bit too battered and dirty after having been dragged along the ground. So the cats ate it over the next few days instead of getting tinned food which at least saved some money, lol.

I'm also thinking of things like game birds and rabbits. A great-uncle used to go out shooting and his dog would retrieve the rabbit or pheasant in his mouth. I should think this still happens. Would you turn down a brace of game birds because a dog had retrieved them?


I think we're all just a bit too fussy about some things tbh. After all that meat came from a slaughter house where there's all sorts of animal bits getting tossed around. They do try not to spread GI tract contents or spinal fluids around these days of course but things like cows tongues and pig cheeks are commonly eaten. There was a thread on pig cheeks here on the forum a few days back. And presumably the pig's cheeks were in contact with their tongue at some time? What about pork crackling? That's just pig skin and that pig probably wallowed around in mud and the odd bit of pig poo when alive. And don't even think about what goes into cheap chicken nuggets and Value sausages, both of which I personally wouldn't eat. But I'd eat the lamb in the original post, given that it was going to be washed and cooked again anyway.

wyebird

This thread is making me laugh, reminds me when I was at a very posh friend's dinner party. Small child came in to sy night night, surveyed us all with our starters ans asked "Mummy, which of them has the one Milo licked?"

Menolly_2

I'm another one of the "wash it off and cook it well" brigade. Once it has been subjected to heat, any bugs should be "toast".

We have four very large (Maine Coon) indoor cats and the two youngest are appalling thieves. Thus, nothing is left out and the counter tops are cleaned with Byotrol, as are the cutting boards, before food prep takes place. Our 12 and 14 year old cats can't be bothered to jump up, they prefer "Waiter Service", but Paddy and Hobbes are 8 months and 17 months respectively and are finally learning what "Gerroffthecounter" means.

We did have a Maine Coon boy a few years back who hopped onto the dining table (when everyone had gone into the living room for coffee) and dragged the remains of a Raspberry Pavlova into the hallway where he was discovered with his blissful little face covered in meringue/cream/raspberries. Perfect poster cat for " Nom nom, it are my birthday!" No, we DIDN'T eat the remains (too mushed up LOL) and neither did he!

jennieshrew

Well I'm terribly upset that none of the anti cat anti filth brigade who thought I shouldn't eat the meat have come on today to enquire of my well-being this morning! You would think they would be worried about me!

Anyway we are all ok and had a lovely lunch of cat licked lamb yesterday!

Beki

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

love this thread!!!!! i would have eaten it too! x

Primrose

Yes, I'd cut off the licked bits or wash them, reheat and cook. We no longer have a cat but bits of food in the past have sometimes suffered this fate and we're all alive and well to tell the tale. If you're particularly concerned, reheat the food in the microwave which should certainly nuke any germs you may be worried about.

lauren_1

Yeah easily, I dont have a cat but have eaten some manky kebabs on a friday night (and maybe for breakfast the next day) surely the kebab is far worse.

MrsE_2

poet123 wrote: »

Never, I agree with PP the thoughts of having an animal on my work surfaces or bed makes me heave.

I think if you try & stop cats going on everything they just get confused & think you are always shouting at them.

Mine are not allowed on the worktops no way no how. They don't even try. Nor are they allowed on the dining table. They can learn two places but it would confuse them & they just wouldn't learn if I tried to add anymore places.

MrsE_2

jennieshrew wrote: »

I cant exactly stop a cat from jumping on the surfaces when I'm not there. They have bottoms and they will sit down bless em!

I doubt anyone with a cat could be SURE the cat didnt jump on surfaces. Thats what they do.

You didnt ask whether I cleaned the surfaces regularly?

I feed my cats dried food as such they don't see the stuff I cook in the dinner as "food" & they don't try & grab it.

MrsE_2

Molly41 wrote: »

Id it eat it no problems especially as its cooked. I guess that as a responsible pet owner you would have regularly wormed your cat?
There is research to say that there are many more bacteria in the human mouth than an animals and we regularly share food with family members and friends.

I also share my bowls with my dogs for the leftovers but they do then go in a very hot dishwasher. I got into trouble with this though a few weeks ago when MIL and FIL came for tea. I had to "tell the kids off" for absent mindingly giving the dogs their bowls for which I got some very hostile and confused looks:eek::eek::eek:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:No & I'm a cat lover, but no sharing of bowls_pale_